EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to make a decision on Phil Hogan's future as EU Commissioner for Trade soon.
Mr Hogan is under pressure over his attendance at the controversial Oireachtas Golf Society event at a hotel in Clifden, Co Galway. There were over 80 people present at a dinner that allegedly broke Government Covid-19 regulations.
Mr Hogan has offered an apology for his attendance at Golfgate but he is still facing calls to resign.
Ms von der Leyen has “taken note” of statements by the Irish authorities claiming that Mr Hogan broke coronavirus rules.
European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant said Ms von der Leyen was still examining the case following the submission of Mr Hogan’s report into his travels.
“It is a detailed report, it’s a report which is public, to ensure full transparency about the moves by the commissioner during that period in Ireland,” she told reporters in Brussels.
“The president is in contact with commissioner Hogan about it.
“On the other hand we have taken note of the statement from Irish authorities … But this is the only thing that we can say at this stage, so once more the president continues considering the matter, she’s examining and assessing carefully on the basis of that report.”
The president is in the course of making her assessment.
The European Commision refused to say whether president Ursula von der Leyen maintained the same level of trust in Phil Hogan that she had when he was made trade commissioner.
Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant said: “The president is in the course of making her assessment, and before making her assessment it is impossible and I’m not going to enter into any discussion referring (to) trust, confidence, or anything else.
“So, this is where we stand now, we are less than 24 hours following the submission of that detailed report by commissioner Hogan.
“It is important to have a complete and fair assessment of that report, and this is the stage where we are in the process.
“I have nothing else to announce in relation to how the president feels about this measure, before she completes her assessment.”
Speaking from a Dublin school on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin refused to be drawn on whether Mr Hogan should resign, adding that he will not seek to “influence or interfere” with Ms von der Leyen’s investigation.
“It is a decision for the president of the commission within the legal frameworks that she has to operate within,” Mr Martin said.
“In respect of his role as a European Union commissioner, I said this before, the Tanaiste (Leo Varadkar) has said it, he’s performed well as the commissioner and that’s not something I’m going to resile from in terms of his performance as commissioner.
“In the context of attending the dinner, in the context of the various other breaches, I think he’s undermined the whole approach to public health in Ireland.”
Mr Martin also said the Government had to make the public’s anger known to the commission over accusations Mr Hogan breached guidelines.
He denied that he or any Irish Government official has contacted Ms von der Leyen about the matter, adding: “I think one of the big challenges here and difficulties has been the changing narrative around the commissioner’s movements and the degree to which he breached or didn’t breach guidelines.
“Now we are very clear on all three fronts he breached the guidelines.
“That has been a difficulty in terms of confidence in the story and that’s why we sought a comprehensive statement and why we sought an interview.
“He was not correct yesterday in his assertions around having taken a test that absolves you from having to restrict your movements. It didn’t. You have to continue to restrict your movements for the 14-day period.”
In a joint Government statement issued on Tuesday night, the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed Mr Hogan’s apology but said "concerns remain".
“It is clear that breaches of public health guidelines were made by Commissioner Phil Hogan since he travelled to Ireland," the statement said.
“The government guidelines clearly required him to restrict his movements for 14 days. He should also have limited his movements to and from Kildare for essential travel only, and he should not have attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner.
His delayed and hesitant release of information has undermined public confidence.
“People are correctly angered by these actions given the sacrifices so many have made to adhere to public health guidance. In addition, his delayed and hesitant release of information has undermined public confidence.”
The statement concluded that “ultimately the Commissioner is accountable to the EU Commission, not to the Irish government movement or to the Oireachtas.” It said that the Government is awaiting the outcome of the review being undertaken by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In his report of the trip given to Ms von der Leyen, Mr Hogan stated: "To the best of my knowledge and ability I believe that I complied with public health regulations in Ireland during my visit."
Ms von der Leyen is expected to make a decision on the matter imminently.
Euronews Political Correspondent, Darren McCaffrey said: "The commission is concerned by the fact that it is August and there isn't much news around, this is dominating the Brussels bubble. Given the fact that the commission has an awful lot of other stuff to deal with, if he is determined to dig in and hold on, he probably will."
Mr Hogan's account of his visit to Ireland is as follows:
- July 31 - I arrived in Ireland, completed the statutory Passenger Locator Form and travelled to my temporary residence in Co Kildare.
- August 5 - I was admitted to a Dublin hospital for a medical procedure.
- While in hospital, I tested negative for Covid-19 (www.citizensinformation.ie confirms that a negative test result ends the self-restriction period).
- August 6 - I was discharged from hospital and returned briefly to my temporary residence in County Kildare.
- August 7 - I travelled to Kilkenny before the local lockdown rules came into effect at midnight in Co Kildare (and neighbouring counties Laois and Offaly).
- August 12 - I travelled to Dublin from Kilkenny for essential work reasons, which required my attendance at the European Commission office. While in Dublin, I also had separate meetings with the Tánaiste and with Minister Robert Troy, to brief them on events relating to ongoing negotiations with the US.
- August 13 - I played golf in Adare, Co Limerick and returned to Kilkenny.
- August 17 - I travelled from Co Kilkenny to Co Galway via Co Kildare. I stopped briefly in Co Kildare at the property in which I had been staying for the purpose of collecting some personal belongings and essential papers relating to the ongoing negotiations with the USTR, Robert Lighthizer, which continued while I was in Co Galway. This culminated in an agreement on a package of tariff reductions on August 21.
- August 18 - I played golf in Co Galway, staying in Clifden (no formal dinner or reception).
- August 19 - I played golf in Clifden, and subsequently attended a formal dinner for which I have since apologised.
- August 21 - I returned from Galway to my temporary residence in Co Kildare to collect my remaining personal belongings, including my passport, and stayed there overnight to catch an early morning flight to my primary residence in Brussels from the nearby airport.
- August 22 - I returned to Brussels.
